Without another word, Logan launched himself forward, pushing off with his back foot hard enough to crack the dirt. He was on Cameron in a heartbeat, bringing his mace down in three concussive blows that the boy barely had time to block with his shield.

“Ack! What the hell man?!” Cameron cried out, his bones tingling painfully, suffering from the aftershocks of Logan’s opening barrage.

“This is an exhibition you psycho not a deathmatch!” He lowered his shoulder and batted away Logan’s next swing. Seeing his opening, Cameron pushed his shield into Logan’s stomach, using his bodyweight to push him back. The man didn’t move an inch. Instead, Logan countered by taking his front leg and kicked Cameron below the knee, causing him to stagger forward. He then mashed the butt of his mace into the prince’s stomach while growling indignantly.

“War isn’t an exhibition kid! Now shut up and fight or die like a dog!” He kicked Cameron’s knee again, this time at the joint, making it buckle and sending him toppling forward. Cameron, for his part, shoulder rolled into the fall, causing Logan’s follow up swing to miss, making the studs of the mace kick up dust as they buried themselves into the dirt. He capitalized on his opponent’s loss of momentum, going on the offensive. He stepped into Logan’s guard, stabbing low in between the sliver of space that separated the man’s body from the large tower shield.

“Good,” Logan said under his breath as he back stepped the attempt, releasing his grasp on the shield. He smiled, remembering the last time he had fallen for that trick, his eyes cutting to the boy’s servant before snapping back to stare Cameron in the eyes. He shot his hand out, trapping Cameron’s wrist in a vice-like grip.

“Glad Markus could make you somewhat competent, but there’s still an important lesson you need to learn.” He said with a grin, much to Cameron’s frustration.

“And what’s that you freak?” The boy snapped back in response, trying his damndest to free himself.

Logan’s grin widened. “How to improvise.”

With that, he yanked hard on Cameron’s wrist with all of his might, causing the boys head to smash into the hard of his tower shield. Cameron’s last thoughts were filled with frustration and anger as everything went black.

***

Cameron had only been out for a few minutes before a firm palm met his cheek, sending a jolt of fresh pain to wake him up with a start.

“Gah! Fucking stop it!” He yelled, as he sat up, clutching his cheek while looking up at a smirking Logan.

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“Well, good morning your highness. Did you enjoy your little nap?”

“No, I did not ENJOY MY LITTLE NAP!” Cameron shouted as he got to his feet. His fist were balled in fury, his pale face turning red with unsuppressed anger. The sight didn’t seem to bother Logan one bit. He simply looked at the prince, raising an eyebrow as his smirk widened.

“Well, someone’s cranky.”

Cameron growled in frustration, running his fingers through his mop of black hair, his ice-blue eyes bulging in a mixture of disbelief and fury.

“You think it’s okay to just go around knocking out random people?!” He asked, exasperated.

“I didn’t knock out a random person,” Logan retorted, nonplussed.

“OH! You’re right! How silly of me. Even more so, why?! I’m a scion of Ketris damn it!”

“Then how about you start acting like one?” Logan said, all humor leaving his tone, staring Cameron down with hard and unforgiving eyes. He jammed a finger into his chest hard enough to cause the boy to stagger slightly.

“You’re so quick to play the noble card when you feel wronged, yet according to Marcus and your father, you could give a shit less when it comes to the duties of your station. Now, I don’t know why you’re so dismissive about helping to lead a planet that is your birthright, and I don’t care. What I do care about is doing the job I’ve been paid to do; Prepare you as best I can to take the mantle of seneschal, whether you like it or not.”

Cameron stood there in silence, his anger slowly fading away, simmering to a low boil of frustration and shame. He chewed at his lip, looking anywhere but at Logan.

“You don’t know me.” He said, finally speaking a soft whisper. Logan’s face didn’t change, though he acknowledged the boy’s words with a curt nod.

“You’re right. I don’t. But that doesn’t matter. I don’t care who you are, Cameron. I don’t care about your station, or about the people watching us off to the sidelines right now. All I care about is the task I’m paid to do. Anything else is just an extra variable. And I hate variables.”

Logan’s words cut through the air with a detached coldness that caused Cameron’s mind to finally settle. His anger was gone completely. He didn’t see a point in it anymore. He looked up meeting Logan’s eyes as they both stared in an awkward silence for a moment before the sound of a throat being cleared broke both men from their ocular standoff.

“Master Pellyn, Master Rake,” Marcus spoke up, causing the pair to turn and look at him. He was standing alone, his arms behind his back respectfully. Augustus Pellyn and the dignitaries were slowly making their way back inside, silently discussing something amongst themselves that Cameron couldn’t quite make out. That didn’t stop him from noticing the looks that were thrown his way from Lendrick and Darwin. They almost seemed… happy? It was hard to tell the intent of their smirks and nods in the dimming dusk of the evening.

“Perhaps it is time that we call an end to this exhibition. It’s almost time for dinner to be served after all. Will you be eating with us tonight Master Rake?”

“Of course. I’m starving. Teaching always builds an appetite after all.” He said, walking off the field to join Marcus who turned to meet Cameron’s eyes.

“Master Pellyn what about-”

“Not. Hungry.” He said. With a sigh, he walked off the field, passing the two men as he jogged up the steps leading up to the door that took him inside the palace.

Marcus sighed as he watched the door slam, echoing in the silence of the early evening.

“My friend… I believe you have made quite the impression on young Cameron.”

Logan smiled softly, eyes still locked on the door. “Oh, I haven’t even started yet.”